This invention relates to a feed intake limiting composition for cattle and a process for employing the same to attain an economical and efficient means of self-feeding cattle.
In the feeding of animals on pasture, particularly cattle, it is often very advantageous from the standpoint of economics, as well as convenience, for the cattle to be self-fed, which means that the cattle are offered a feed or feed supplement on a free choice basis without periodic feedings of a rationed amount by a farmer or rancher each day. A disadvantage, however, of self-feeding animals such as cattle is that the animals tend to over-eat feed supplements and consequently get a higher intake of feed or feed supplement that is completely necessary for proper weight gain or weight maintenance and some don't get any as a result. This results in an additional expense to the rancher having to provide additional and unnecessary amounts of protein or feed supplement to be fed in combination with a roughage source such as grass or hay or feed individually.
It is, therefore, desirable to limit the intake of the protein or feed supplement to an amount which is the proper amount needed for proper weight gain or weight maintenance without consumption of more than is needed by the animal. As noted on page 699 of Morrison, Feeds and Feeding (1956), the prior art has incorporated salt or gypsum in the protein or feed supplement in order to control consumption of the protein supplement to a prescribed amount. A disadvantage, however, in employing either one of these compounds to control consumption of the protein supplement and accordingly provide an effective self-feeding feed composition is that both materials provide little nutritional value and require mixing in large quantities with the supplement in order to reduce consumption thereof. For example, 1 part of salt to 3 parts of protein or feed supplement will ordinarily be required to reduce daily consumption in cattle to the desired amount. Another disadvantage of employing these materials is that salt poisoning of the animals may occur if water is not readily or freely available.
One intake limiting composition to overcome these problems was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,676 on June 13, 1972. However, that composition required the use of fish oil in feed limiting amounts.